‘12 Years a Slave,’ ‘Short Term 12’ Nab Indie Spirit Award Noms

The juggernaut that is “12 Years a Slave” continued with the announcement of the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Award nominees today. The Steve McQueen-helmed drama about slavery—which has been gaining momentum since its debut at the Toronto Film Festival—led the nominations with seven nods.

But while “12 Years a Slave” already has plenty of buzz, the Indie Spirit Awards also shined a light on some deserving, smaller films that should have a bigger fan base. Brie Larson scored a nod for female lead for her work in “Short Term 12,” along with Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine” and Shailene Woodley for “The Spectacular Now.” And Lake Bell was nominated for best first screenplay for her “In a World” screenplay, part of a trend this year that saw plenty of actors nominated for their writing, from Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke for “Before Midnight” to Joseph Gordon-Levitt for “Don Jon.”

The awards will be handed out at a March 1 ceremony, the night before the Oscars. Patton Oswalt will host. A full list of nominees is below.

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